As Australian family-owned equipment supplier Wedderburn marks 130 years in business, executive chairman Philip Wedderburn shares his perspective with PKN on how food manufacturing and packaging have evolved – and the areas he believes will drive the industry's next gains.
Few companies have witnessed the transformation of Australia's food manufacturing sector as closely as Wedderburn. Established in 1896, the Australian family-owned supplier of weighing, labelling, packaging and food processing equipment has evolved alongside an industry that has moved from manual processes to increasingly automated, data-driven operations.
For executive chair Philip Wedderburn, however, the fundamental objective has never changed.
"If there's one thing we've learned over 130 years, it's that Australian manufacturers have never stopped looking for better ways to do things."
What has changed is the role technology plays in achieving that objective.
Where individual machines once operated independently, manufacturers today are increasingly connecting weighing, inspection, labelling and packaging systems into integrated production lines. The result is not only greater productivity, but also improved consistency, traceability and food safety.
Perhaps nowhere is that evolution more evident than in packaging.
Packaging becomes a quality function
Packaging has shifted from being the final step in production to becoming an integral part of quality assurance and operational performance.
Today's packaging lines are expected to verify product weights, apply compliant labels, support product traceability and confirm quality before products leave the factory. As manufacturers integrate these functions, they reduce manual handling, streamline production flow and gain greater confidence in the integrity of every pack they produce.
For Wedderburn, that transformation has elevated packaging well beyond its traditional role.
"Packaging isn't simply protecting the product anymore – it's about protecting the brand."
At the same time, traceability has become embedded throughout the production process. Digital records now provide manufacturers with greater operational visibility while simplifying compliance and supporting faster responses when issues arise.
Investment decisions are changing accordingly, Wedderburn observes. While throughput and purchase price remain important, manufacturers are placing increasing value on equipment that delivers operational flexibility, reduces waste and minimises costly downtime. Just as importantly, they are seeking suppliers capable of providing ongoing technical support throughout the equipment's life.
Smarter investment, not simply more automation
Rising labour costs, skills shortages and tighter compliance requirements continue to shape investment decisions, but Wedderburn says successful manufacturers are taking a more strategic approach than simply buying the latest technology.
Rather than pursuing wholesale automation projects, many are targeting specific bottlenecks where incremental improvements can deliver measurable gains. Upgrading weighing accuracy, modernising inspection or labelling systems, integrating existing equipment and improving preventative maintenance often provide a stronger return than large-scale capital projects.
He argues that automation itself is frequently misunderstood.
"Good automation doesn't replace experience – it allows experienced people to spend more time doing the things that matter most."
The growing availability of production data is also changing how factories operate. Connected equipment enables manufacturers to identify inefficiencies, monitor performance, improve traceability and support continuous improvement using objective operational information rather than assumptions.
The businesses achieving the greatest success, Wedderburn says, are those that define the operational problem first and then invest in technology to solve it, rather than adopting new equipment simply because it is available.
The connected factory
Looking ahead, Wedderburn expects the pace of technological change to accelerate, driven less by individual machines than by the intelligence generated across connected production environments.
Artificial intelligence is likely to become increasingly valuable in areas such as predictive maintenance, production optimisation and quality monitoring, provided it delivers practical benefits for manufacturers.
Sustainability will remain another powerful driver of equipment investment. Improving weighing accuracy to reduce product giveaway, extending shelf life and adopting packaging technologies that use materials more efficiently demonstrate how environmental and commercial objectives are becoming increasingly aligned.
"The best sustainability initiatives are the ones that also make good commercial sense."
Despite global competitive pressures, Wedderburn believes Australia's food manufacturing sector remains well positioned, pointing to its reputation for quality and its pragmatic approach to adopting new technology. Building sovereign capability, he argues, is not simply about manufacturing more equipment locally, but about maintaining the skills, service capability and technical expertise needed to integrate and support increasingly sophisticated production systems.
Ultimately, he believes the industry's next competitive advantage will come from how effectively manufacturers harness the information flowing through their operations.
"The factories of the future won't simply have smarter equipment, they'll make smarter use of the information that equipment provides."
If the past 130 years have been defined by continual technological evolution, the next chapter for Australia's food manufacturing sector may be defined by how effectively it integrates those technologies to produce safer, smarter and more efficient operations.
